PENDLETON, Ore.-The Pendleton City Council decided to table a decision on the selection of the City’s next Essential Air Service (EAS) carrier at its regular meeting on January 20.
EAS is a federal program established as part of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 to maintain air service in rural communities and is considered a lifeline to maintaining access to jobs, medical, commercial and tourism services for rural communities.
Administered by the Department of Transportation (USDOT), with contracts approved every two years, the EAS program provides subsidies to air carriers that serve otherwise unprofitable routes, mostly in rural areas.
Boutique Air has served Pendleton, the only EAS provider in the Pacific Northwest since 2016, however, its current contract is set to expire on May 31, 2026.
Pendleton Airport Manager Dan Bandel formed a ten-member EAS selection committee in late 2025 to examine proposals from four air carriers, based on the following criteria:
- Safety and regulatory compliance
- Reliability and on-time performance
- Fleet capacity and operational readiness
- Community engagement and responsiveness
- Affordability and long-term sustainability
- Route connectivity to major hubs
- Customer service and passenger experience
- Financial stability
- Environmental responsibility
Advanced Air, Boutique Air, Contour Air, and SkyWest Charter all submitted proposals to the committee.
“Each proposal was reviewed against these standards, and the Committee held multiple meetings to discuss the strengths and limitations of each option,” said Bandel. “Community input was also considered throughout the process.”
After the review process, Bandel presented the EAS Selection Committee’s recommendation of SkyWest Charter to the Pendleton City Council.
“After weighing all factors, the Committee determined that SkyWest Charter offers the strongest overall package for Pendleton,” Bandel said in his Request for City Council Action. “Their proposal demonstrated a high level of safety, operational reliability, strong connectivity to major destinations, and a commitment to serving the needs of our region.”
According to the City of Pendleton, multiple City Council members spoke of hearing community support for Boutique Airlines being retained as Pendleton’s EAS provider at the council meeting, and multiple community members spoke in favor of keeping Boutique Air during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Pendleton City Council requested side-by-side comparisons of the proposals and voted to table the decision until that information could be discussed and further public input could be gathered.
“In my time with the City, we have never had four companies vying for this contract,” Mayor McKennon McDonald said. “I think that speaks volumes to the Airport and the growth of this industry at the airport. That’s very exciting.”
By tabling the motion, the City Council will need to vote at a future meeting to bring the decision back up for consideration. The next Pendleton City Council meeting is February 3.
The proposals from all four air carriers are included in the January 20 meeting packet and are available online.
